Video game play is an extremely popular pastime throughout the world. Nearly every type of human endeavor is represented by some aspect of video game play. For example, driving games simulate car racing and allow the game player to feel as is he or she is behind the wheel of a race car racing at high speed around a track. Adventure games allow the game player to control a character moving through an imaginary landscape. Puzzle games present graphical or other puzzles for the game player to solve. Strategy games simulate historical battles, problems of diplomacy, or other interesting scenarios. Video game play possibilities are as limitless as the range of human interests.
Much work has been done in the past toward providing user interfaces for interactively controlling characters performing a variety of physical activities such as gymnastics, snowboarding, skiing, platform diving and the like. A few video games in the past have attempted to model or represent gymnastic moves. For example, Vivendi introduced a video game for the personal computer in 2001 called “Barbie Team Gymnastics” allowing game players to control game characters to participate in various gymnastic routines such as balance beam, floor exercises, uneven bars and the vault. Gamers often refer to the Lara Croft character in the Tomb Raider series as having “gymnastic dexterity” as the game character moves over various obstacles, climbs ladders and the like.
To make such game play action as realistic as possible, video game developers and computer graphics system designers have in the past worked tirelessly to model the underlying physics so that objects and game players move as one would expect them to move in the real world. Some very complicated and realistic animations have been developed. Video game developers have taken great pains to accurately model physical phenomena such as wind, the motion of the vehicle, the way a ball bounces on a hard surface, how an aircraft responds in flight, and other effects. For example, a character with a billowed cloak may create a parachute-like effect when that character falls, slowing the fall and allowing control of the falling character. Or a character may have to run faster to leap over a large chasm.
Many games in the past were controlled by a joystick or other type of game controller. While the player may be able to push a button or double-tap a joystick in a certain direction, indicating that the game character should, for example, run faster, the player may in some cases lack direct control over how fast the character is moving. Such less-than-fully-intuitive user interaction can sometimes result in a less satisfying game play experience.
Much work has been done in the past to improve computer and video game user interfaces and make them more intuitive. Recently, touch screens have become popular for use in controlling game play on a handheld videogame playing device. The Nintendo DS, for example, provides 3D videogame play on a touch screen that can be controlled using a stylus. To manipulate game characters or otherwise control the game, the user can touch and/or move a stylus on the surface of the touch screen. Different stylus touches and movements can control game characters to move in different ways or select other videogame play functionality. Such touch screen interfaces have become widely used and highly successful. However, further improvements are possible and desirable.
The technology herein provides techniques and apparatus for controlling gymnastic and other rotational effects within a videogame or other computer graphics or multimedia presentation using a touch screen or other user input.
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a gymnastics high bar is modeled using conventional 3D computer graphics techniques. The game player can control an animated game character to jump onto the high bar and perform a variety of gymnastic moves such as for example giants, handstands, fly aways, swings and turns, pirouettes, kips, and a variety of dismounts. Any particular game or other presentation can provide some or all of these moves or any other suitable acrobatic, gymnastic or other moves. In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the touch sensitive surface is used to control the animated character. Gestures scribed by a stylus on a touch screen may, for example, be used to control the direction and type of move or other motion the animated game character performs.
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, 3D computer graphics may be used to model a high bar that spins. This spinning bar provides a variety of interesting animation possibilities. For example, an animated character simply holding on to the spinning bar can be shown spinning with the bar—reducing the complexity of the user commands required to provide interesting and fun animated gymnastics action.
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a game player can cause the bar to spin through interaction with a virtual wheel attached to an end of the bar. In this exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the bar is modeled as a steel or other high tensile strength bar oriented horizontally and mounted on low friction bearings. A virtual wheel is axially attached to an end of the bar. Imparting a virtual spin to the wheel causes the bar to spin. In this exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the game player can impart spin to the wheel by directing touch screen stylus strokes to the wheel's surface. The faster the game player applies strokes to the wheel, the faster the wheel and associated bar spins. The effect of friction and gravity may be modeled so that the bar's spin will eventually slow down if the user does not impart strokes to the wheel for a period of time. Meanwhile, the game player can use the same stylus to control an animated character to interact with the spinning bar (e.g., mount, dismount, handstands, or other acrobatic moves).
According to an exemplary non-limiting illustrative implementation, the player instructs a game character to grasp a bar set at a height above the game level. Once the game character has grasped the bar, the player can use a device, such as a stylus, to manipulate a virtual wheel attached to the end of the bar. The player can drag the wheel up or down, and the character will spin according to the direction indicated by the player “spinning” the wheel. Once the game character is spinning, the player may then use the stylus to instruct the game character to jump in a certain direction. The game may model rotational speed (angular velocity) of the spinning character to determine just how far to jump.
According to another exemplary non-limiting illustrative implementation, the speed at which the player instructs the wheel affixed to the bar to spin affects the speed of the game character. If the player uses quick strokes to spin the bar, the game character may spin quickly. If the player slows the strokes, the spin will slow. Friction can also be modeled to gradually slow the rate at which the bar spins. If the player stops interacting with the wheel/bar then the game may slow the bar's spin down, adding the appearance of friction and/or gravity taking effect within the game. This feature allows players to directly affect the speed of the spin, in a manner where the in-game action correlates with the action taken in the real world. The player feels as if he is actually spinning the bar using the stylus. If a precision jump has to be made, the player can directly control the speed of the spin, until he feels the speed is just right, and then immediately and directly indicate using a stylus where he wants the game character to jump.
According to a further exemplary non-limiting illustrative implementation, a plurality of movement zones are predefined around a game character. These zones may be centered at the center of the character, and there may be any number of zones surrounding the character. For example, there may be plural zones indicating an upward movement, plural zones indicating a downward movement, and plural zones indicating movement to the left or right. When the player selects the game character by placing the stylus within a selection region, and subsequently moves the stylus through a zone, the game character may move in direction corresponding to the zone direction. See for example U.S. Patent Application No. 60/745,892 filed Apr. 28, 2006 entitled “Touch-Controlled Game Character Motion Providing Dynamically-Positioned Virtual Control Pad.”
Character interaction is not limited to bars. Any sort of direct or indirect interaction using a tool such as a stylus where the speed, direction or other characteristic of the player's indication translates into game physics or action is possible. The game character could, for example, be swinging from a rope or a fixed pendulum, where the player's motions increases the swing speed. Other examples are possible.
The exemplary non-limiting illustrative implementations allow a player to directly control a game character through the use of a touch screen and stylus or similar combination. Because the player interacts directly with the character, the player gains a much greater sense of actually affecting the in-game events. Depending on the developer's desires, the player may also have to become skilled at manipulating and timing character movement with a stylus or similar device, adding a whole new challenge for players to master.